Meter-panel.



H. F. KRANTZ.

METER PANEL.

APPLICATION HLED DEC-18,19l2.

' Patented Feb. 19, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET1.

H. F. KRANTZ.

METER PANEL. PPLLCATION FILED URI-18,1912- 1 257,289. I Patented Feb. 19, 1918 f v HEETSSHEET 2.

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' flwwdv fi H. -F. KRANTZ.

METER PANEL.

APPLICATION men use. 18, 1912.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Jar/3'7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBER'I' F. KRANTZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T KRANTZ MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, INC., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METER-PANEL.

Application filed December 18, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hunnnr F. KnAN'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meter- Panels, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in meter panel boards; the object of this invention is to provide a meter board, each bus-bar of which can ,be connected to the same branch circuit, or in other words, my improved meter board is arranged so as to enable an operator to connect any one of a number of meters to the same branch circuit. The special features of the board are the arrangement of the bus-bars and switches adapted to close the circuit between the bars and the branch circuits. In my improved meter board each switch is designed to contact with any one of the bus-bars.

the drawings, which form part of this specification Figure l is a top plan view of my improved meter board.

ing' taken onv a-line -5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is also a sectional plan view, the

section being taken'on a line 6-6 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view ofone of the switch handles.

Fig. 8 is a detail end elevation of the bus-bars and a side elevation of a modified form of switch.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of still anothgr form of switch.

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view, the section being taken on a line 10-1O in- Fig. 9.

The meter board herein illustrated comprises a base or back plate, 1, switch contacts 2, 3, and 4, and a switch 5,'which connects the line with the neutral bus-bar 6 and fuse bars 7' and'8.for the fuses 9. A meter 10,one only being shown, is connected by a line wire 11 to the neutral bus'bar 6, and

also to one of the fuse contacts 12 by a line wire 13 a line wire 14 connects the meter Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918 Serial No. 737,373.

10 with a bus-bar support 15. Two branch circuits are herein illustrated by 17 and 16.

The meter bus-bars which form part of the meterboard construction are indicated by 19, the said bars being preferably arranged in airs and separated by separators 20 of insu ating material.

As can be seen inFig. 3, the bus-bars are superposed, or located in different planes one above the other, and above the back plate, and in this instance the edges oi the bars are in alinement. Each pair 01' meter bus-bars is separated from its adjacent pair by plates 21 of-insulating material, the pile or group being covered by a cover plate 22, also of insulating material. The pilepr group of meter bus bars is elevated somewhat above the neutral bus bar 6, which isalso in alinement with the bars 19, and separated therefrom by separators 23 of insulating material. By reason of the provision-of the plates 21 and cover plate 22, which extend considerably beyond the edges of the bars 19, the said bars 19 are protected, for more properly speaking the chance of accidental contacttherewith is eliminated.

The branch circuits 16 and 17 are connected to fuse clip terminals 24, which in turn are connected'to fuse clip terminals 25 and 26 by fuses 27.' The inner or contact ends of the terminals 25 and 26- are located one above the other, the latter being in aplane above the former.

To control thecircuit between the neutral and meter bus-bars and the branch line circuits I emplo a special switch indicated generally by t e reference numeral 28.

One of the special features of this board is that the neutral bus-bar 6 is common to all of the meter bus-bars 19, thefcircuit being completed through the body of the switch by means of a switch blade, which is movable longitudinall of the -body of the switch, the neutral switch. blade being rotatable only. i

The object of this form of switch is to enable any one of the meter bus-bars to be@ on to the sleeve.

. plate 46 carries in this circuits.

-portion comprising a sleeve 29 of conducting material mounted upon or carried by a bushing 30 of insulating material the said bushing being supported by a post 31 which is rotatably supported in a socket 32 carried by the back plate 1. The switch as a whole is rotated by hand, a hand wheel 33' being provided for the purpose.

Adjacent the lower end of-the bushing 30, and upon the same, I locate the. neutral switch blades 34, in this instance two, the said blades being kept apart by a separator 35 of insulating material. To cover the blades, 34, to prevent contact therewith from above, I provide a plate 36 of insulating material.

t will be obvious that the neutral blades 34 form a part of one side of the circuit. A part of the other side of the circuit consists of the sleeve 29, a contact or blade 37 secured thereto permanently, and a shiftable contact or blade 38 carried by the sleeve. The permanently secured-blade 37, in this instance,'is secured to the plate 36 and elec trically connected to the sleeve 29 in any manner, such as soldering or by being forced The shiftable blade 38 is carried by ablock 39 of conducting material slidably mounted on the sleeve 29, a key 40 being provided to prevent the rotation of the block on the sleeve I ZQ.

To slide the block 391longitudinally of the sleeve 29 I provide athreaded spindl '41 which -passes'through lthe' threaded lug 42 on the block 39., The lower end of the spindle is rotatabl supported in the plate 36. The upper en of the spindle 41 is proadded with a slotted licad43. The spindle can be rotated by means of a key or screw driver. To raise the block to cause the blade 38 to aline with any of the sets of meter bnsbars the spindle will be rotated as per the arrow 44. A reverse movement will lower the block. The block will be movedwhile the switch is in the off position.

To select the set of bus-bars to be thrown in I provide an indicating device which acts in conjunction with the spindle 41, the said (IGVlCG' COIDPIlSIDg a pinion 45 secured to the spindle 41 and a plate 46 loosely and rota: tably mounted upon the sleeve 29. The plate 46 is provided-with teeth 47 which mesh with the teeth of the pinion 45; the instance numerals which appear to view through-an opening 48 in the hand wheel. or handle 33. Each.

The movement necessar hand. As many changes could be made in this numeral represents a set of bus-bars 19. to cause the block to travel from one set 0 bus-bars to another rotates the plate 46 sufliciently to cause the proper numeral to appear at the opening 48.

By means of the above described switch I am able to throw any set of meter bus-bars in circuit with the branch circuit controlled by the switch. As there are a number of such switches any one set of meter bus-bars can be thrown in.ci'rcuit with a plurality of branch circuits by causing the movable blade 38 upon the switches to contact with the desired set of meter bus-bars.

Fig. 8 illustrates another form of switch and also another arrangement of contacts which co-act therewith. In this instance the movable blade 48 closes the circuit directly from the bus-bars to the contacts 49. The blade 48 is carried by a s'lidable block 50. In other respects the switch is the same as the switch shown in Fig. 3.

In this form there is a contact 49 for every To hold the block 51 inan adjusted position, I provide a spring pressed latch 55 which snaps into the openings 5i. In this last named switch the hand wheel 56 will be a plain and has no indicator opening. The block 51 will be shifted up and downby construction without departing front the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended thatfiall matter. contained in the above descriptio or shown in the accompanying drawings, 'shallbegintcrpreted asillustrative only and. not. in 'a liniitingse ise.

I claim as my invention: 1. A panel board consisting of. a back plate, a plurality of bus-bars having their contact surfacesarranged in diflere'ntplanes i above the base platc, a switch having a plu? rality'of switch blades adapted tocontact with said contact surfaces, one of said blades being shiftable to contact with any selected; one of said-bus-bars, and branch circuit con facts-for said blades, said branch circuit contacts also bein in different planes.

.2. panel oard consisting of .a .bacl i plat a plurality of meter. bus-barsand aneutral bus-bar arranged indifferent planes above the backplate, and a. switch having a plurality of switch blades adapted to con tact directly'with the bu s-bars, one of said switch. blades being shiftable to engage any.

- selected one of themeter bus-bars,

3. A anel board-comprising a baclt plate,

a plum 'ty otsuperpesed bus-bars, branch iao circuit contacts, and a switch to close the circuit between said bus-bars and said contact-s, said switch-comprisinga body portion of conducting material, a switch blade movable therewith, but insulated therefrom, and a switch blade slidably secured to said body portion and electrically connected thereto.

4. A panel board comprising a back plate, a plurality of superposed bus-bars, branch circuit contacts, and a switch to close the circuit between said bus-bars and said contacts, said switch comprising a body portion of conducting material, a switch blade movable therewith, but insulated therefrom, a switch blade electrically connected to said body portion, but arranged to slide to difl'erent operative positions thereon.

5. A panel board comprising a back plate, a plurality of fixed bus-bars carried thereby, including a neutral bus-bar, branch circuit contacts, a switch adapted to close the circuit between said bus-bars and said contacts comprising a body portion, a blade carried thereby adapted to close the circuit between the neutral bus-bar and one of the branch circuit contacts, and a blade carried by said body portion adapted to close the circuit be- -'tween the other branch circuit contacts and any one of the bus-bars.

6. A panel board comprising a back plate, a plurality of superposed bus-bars, branch circuit contacts, and a switch to close the circuit between said bus-bars and said oontac'ts, said switch comprising a body ortion of conducting material, a switch bla e movable therewith, but insulated therefrom, a switch blade electrically connected to'said body portion but arranged to slide to different operative positions thereon, and means to shift said blade.

7. A panel board comprising a back plate, a plurality of superposed bus-bars carried thereby, insulated one from the other, branch circuit contacts, means to close the circuit between one of said bars, and one of said contacts, and a selective device to close the circuit between the other of said contacts and any one of the remaining busbars.

8. A panel board comprising a back plate, a plurality of superposed bus-bars carried thereby insulated one from the other, branch circuit contacts, means to close the circuit between one of said bars and one of said contacts, a selective device to close the circuit between the other of said contacts and any one of the remaining busbars, and an" indicating device to determine the position of the selective device,

9. A panel board comprising a back plate, superposed bus-bars carried thereby, including a neutral busbar, branch circuit'con tacts, means to close the circuit between the neutral bar and one of the branch circuit contacts, a vertically adjustable blade to close the circuit between any one of said busbars, not including the neutral bar, and the other of said branch circuit contacts.

10. A panel board comprising a back plate, superposed bus-bars carried thereby, including a neutral bus-bar, branch circuit contacts, means to close the circuit between the neutral bar and one of the branch circuit contacts, a vertically adjustable blade to close the circuit between any one of said bus-bars, not includin the. neutral bar, and the other of said branc circuit contacts, and an indicating device to determine the position of the vertically adjustable blade.

' 11. A panel board comprising a back plate, bus-bars carried thereby, including a neutral bus -bar, arranged in different lanes, branch circuit contacts also arranged in difi'erent planes, means to close 'the circuit between the neutral bar and one of said branch circuit contacts,'an adjustable device to close the circuit between the bus-bars, not including the neutral bar, and the other of said branch circuit contacts, and means to adjust said device to the plane of any one of said bus-bars.

12. A panel board comprising a back plate, bus-bars carried thereby, including a neutral bus -bar, arranged in different planes, branch circuit contacts also arranged in different planes, means to close the circuit between the neutral bar andone of said branch circuit contacts, a switch blade permanentl located in 'the plane of the other of said ranch circuit contacts,and an adjustable blade to close the circuit between said bus-bars and said permanently located blade.

'13. A nanel board comprising a back plate, bus-bars carried thereby, including a neutral bus -bar, arranged in I difl'erent planes, branch circuit contacts also arranged in'diflerent planes, means to close the circuit between the neutral bar and one of said branch circuit contacts, a switch blade permanently located in the plane of the other of said branch circuit contacts, and means to close the circuit between said permanently located blade and any one of said bus-bars.

14, In a meter panel board, a plurality-of meter contacts arranged side ,by side, another contact adapted for carrying the op posite side of the circuit, a switch having two blades movable when the switch is op erated one to engage said last contact and the other to engage one of the meter contacts, and said second mentioned blade being shiftable to engage any selected one of the meter contacts.

15. A meter board comprising a. back plate, a plurality of meter bus-bars superposed one above the other in different planes above the back plate, a neutral busbar substantially in line with the meter. bus-bars, a

I switch adjacent said bus-bars and having a pair of blades one for the neutral bus-bar and the other for the meter bus-bars, said blades being connected for simultaneous movement into engagement with their re spective busbars, and means whereby the last mentioned switch blade is shiftable for engaging any selected one of the meter busars.

16. In a. meter board, a series of meter contacts for carrying one side of the circuit, a further contact for carrying the opposite side of the circuit, a pair of branch line 'contacts, and a switch interposed between the branch line contacts and said first and second mentioned contacts, the switch comprising -means for closing circuit between one of the branch line contacts and any selected one of the first mentioned contacts, and the switch'also comprising means for closing circuit between the remalning branch line contact and the second mentioned contact.

Signed at New York city, New York, this 17th day of December, 1912.

.HUBERT F. KRANTZ. Witnesses:

FRED FRANcIs'Wmss, MABEL DI'ITENHOEFEB. 

